It's just 50 years after the death of Jesus and Christianity is still an invitation to dinner with the Lions. Romans are still debating over a return to the Republic (just over a decade after Nero, the last of the Claudians), so for fans of the BBC mini-series"I Claudius" (like me), this seems like a worthy follow-up even though they are nowhere near Rome, and there's little mention of goings on in the Empire outside of the ancient world soapy dramas of the residents of Pompeii. I don't even recall the mentions of who the emperor at the time was, either Vespasian or his successor Titus, both rulers in 79 A. D., although the sexy but villainous Franco Nero does disgust the series of leaders who have ruled unsuccessfully since the end of the Claudians.
The first part of the three episodes takes quite a while to introduce all of the characters, mainly the three women played by Lesley Anne Downe, Olivia Hussey and Linda Purl, handsome Nicholas Clay and "I Claudius" veteran Brian Blessed, playing a commoner, not a royal, wearing a thick beard yet instantly recognizable through his amusing bellowing. His character is a Christian, obviously desperate to stay alive, although a scene of Christians in the Colosseum being besieged by lions is very frightening to watch, even though the scene is cut once the Lions enter the grounds and the Christians begin their prayer of salvation.
Two unintentional bits of comical casting are Ned Beatty and Ernest Borgnine. I love how the New York Times critic referred to Beatty as looking like a combination of Bert Lahr and Dame May Whitty, and indeed, he seems far too modern looking in his demeanor to be believable as an ancient Roman. Borgnine may have had one of Hollywood's longest careers, but the Academy Award winning actor often walked through his assignments, and outside of "Marty" and a few selected other classics rarely created a role unique to his personality. The comic relief role of a sarcastic dwarf is one of several other eye rolling elements.
There are several moments of Vesuvius, seen in the background like a big cardboard set-piece, heard to be shaking, so the first part is more individual stories being set up, and they aren't really all that interesting. Siobhan McKenna, in her one big scene in this episode, creates more of an impact in the major characters. Thus, unless you're truly paying attention, it's easy to just get distracted by the glorious sets and costumes and the oppulent production design. It does give you a sense of what life in the Roman Empire was like at this time, and in that aspect it is interesting. But it drags quite a bit, and many characters don't seem all that different than anybody else around, cardboard cutouts and cliches of what has been around in Gladiator movies since the late 1950's. Obviously the tension is building up a bit, but it's a weak start, and it's tempting not to tune out after a while, although the presence of a lot of beefy barely covered male bodies do provide some eye candy.
The first part of the three episodes takes quite a while to introduce all of the characters, mainly the three women played by Lesley Anne Downe, Olivia Hussey and Linda Purl, handsome Nicholas Clay and "I Claudius" veteran Brian Blessed, playing a commoner, not a royal, wearing a thick beard yet instantly recognizable through his amusing bellowing. His character is a Christian, obviously desperate to stay alive, although a scene of Christians in the Colosseum being besieged by lions is very frightening to watch, even though the scene is cut once the Lions enter the grounds and the Christians begin their prayer of salvation.
Two unintentional bits of comical casting are Ned Beatty and Ernest Borgnine. I love how the New York Times critic referred to Beatty as looking like a combination of Bert Lahr and Dame May Whitty, and indeed, he seems far too modern looking in his demeanor to be believable as an ancient Roman. Borgnine may have had one of Hollywood's longest careers, but the Academy Award winning actor often walked through his assignments, and outside of "Marty" and a few selected other classics rarely created a role unique to his personality. The comic relief role of a sarcastic dwarf is one of several other eye rolling elements.
There are several moments of Vesuvius, seen in the background like a big cardboard set-piece, heard to be shaking, so the first part is more individual stories being set up, and they aren't really all that interesting. Siobhan McKenna, in her one big scene in this episode, creates more of an impact in the major characters. Thus, unless you're truly paying attention, it's easy to just get distracted by the glorious sets and costumes and the oppulent production design. It does give you a sense of what life in the Roman Empire was like at this time, and in that aspect it is interesting. But it drags quite a bit, and many characters don't seem all that different than anybody else around, cardboard cutouts and cliches of what has been around in Gladiator movies since the late 1950's. Obviously the tension is building up a bit, but it's a weak start, and it's tempting not to tune out after a while, although the presence of a lot of beefy barely covered male bodies do provide some eye candy.
